When it comes to the Monster Hunter series, I’ll admit I’m relatively fresh on the scene. For a long time, I kept my distance, mostly because the games were stuck on handheld consoles that didn’t really grab my interest—and they didn’t exactly look like smooth experiences either.
My introduction to the series was through Monster Hunter World, and it completely hooked me. Since then, I’ve proudly called myself a fan. Diving into Monster Hunter Wilds, I’ve sunk over two dozen hours into the game. I chose to barrel through the main campaign before getting lost in side quests, and truth be told, it was a bit underwhelming.
Now, if you’re familiar with Monster Hunter, you’d know that these campaigns aren’t typically praised for their storytelling finesse. They’re designed more as grand tours, walking you through a sprawling array of systems and mechanics you’ll rely on for countless hours. In essence, they guide you through the game’s lively roster of beasts.
These campaigns generally unfold in a familiar pattern: your squad is out to track down an elusive monster that’s causing trouble in various regions. Along the way, other creatures distract you until you finally uncover what’s really behind all the chaos. The climax is a showdown with the main beast, after which you’re thrown into High Rank mode, and that’s where the real Monster Hunter game kicks off.
This basic template holds true for Wilds, much like it did for World—though the specifics vary greatly. Depending on how these details are handled, a campaign can either be thrilling or easily forgettable.
What really made World stand out was its campaign. The central storyline involving Zorah Magdaros was epic. This gigantic monster required an entire village just to slow it down. It was so large you could battle multiple creatures on its back, with room to spare.
Clearly, the developers aimed to introduce something new with this behemoth, even though not everyone liked it. The fights involved building ramparts, loading cannons, and all sorts of tasks quite unlike the traditional Monster Hunter gameplay.
Personally, I appreciated these missions for their freshness. They broke the monotony of the usual monster-hunting routine and cleverly advanced the story. With each map shift, new areas unlocked for exploration, showcasing the ecological impact of Zorah’s journey. The mystery of its migration stayed under wraps almost until the end, adding an exhilarating layer of urgency and intrigue.
Wilds, however, lacks that kind of compelling drive. There’s no massive threat like Zorah looming on the horizon. The game’s flagship monster, Arkveld, pops up occasionally, doing things no one explains before disappearing again, leaving players without anything substantial to chase. The final battle, instead, is against another creature you barely hear of until just before the fight.
There’s a missing sense of unity, no grand coming together of diverse groups to tackle a shared danger. Some monster introductions feel rushed, as if Capcom didn’t know how else to incorporate them, resulting in encounters that are shoehorned into missions.
Fragments of conversations hint at deeper connections and subplots, but these are never fully explored. Even the tale of a long-lost civilization and their catastrophic weather-tech feels like something pulled from a history book rather than a gripping narrative.
The Wilds campaign mirrors some of the main game’s issues. In its bid to smooth out the experience, much of the series’ original charm is lost. Perhaps these weren’t the best areas to streamline.
As the community dives deeper into Monster Hunter Wilds, the core campaign is likely to fade from memory, overshadowed by more prominent successes and flaws. Yet, I can’t help but wonder what a World campaign sequel might have looked like, with all the thrilling stakes and captivating mysteries of its predecessor.
